Moffat ran a 351 in the Mustang towards its career end and it was reportedly the Falcon engine. It upset the cars balance somewhat and rather than move it back and partially destroy the car he chose to retire it....a decision well made.
Printable View
Ford gave the two cars to Al and Big Pete to continue their further developement and I remember seeing John French drive AM,s lightweight at Surfers and at Lakeside and he did a good job as the car appeared to be very quick and competitive. it did look nice in the Brambles Red colour scheme as an XY but the best motor race I have ever seen was the battle between Pete in his white lightweight XY and Moff,s Mustang in the ATTC round at Bathurst Easter 1972-this was a titanic duel between two greats with Pete just pipping Moff by a headlight at the finish..an unbelievable race.
Pete.
Were you at that event Pete?
Anyone want to try and guess which this car is?
Attachment 12350
Yes Steve,I was at the bottom of Con-rod and on the last lap and the last corner of that incredible race it was amazing to see Moffat,who had his entire upper body protruding through the side window as his windscreen was completely covered in engine oil from the XY.s overflow catch bottle causing no vision out the front screen,pull around Pete in attempt to out brake him and they went side by side thru Murrays with Pete just slightly out accellerating the Boss 302......Stuff legends are made from!
Pete.
I like this comparison between the Super XW and the FoMoCo press test car stock Phase 2,the flares and the minilights on the lightweight look very aggresive.
Pete.Attachment 12351
Agreed, the flares and the wheels are what make it. I really love the flares those cars had, they were aggressive but still quite subtle, and its impressive they still housed 10" wide wheels.
Wow, that must have been amazing. That race is considered one of the very greatest touring car races in Australian history.
I sometimes wonder how things could have been if CAMS had let the Improved Tourers run another season. On the one hand the fields were getting smaller as the front running cars were becoming more expensive to build and race, but I think Geoghegan could have been quite competitive with the Super Falcon, plus Jane would have had his HQ Monaro, and it would have been interesting to see who else entered the fray.
........the after part of Mid-Years account was related to me by Chris Farrell some years ago, Chris worked for the 'Moffat', responsible for bodywork etc etc ( we were all 'good' at etc,etc,etc)......well as you all know,no victory lap at Bathurst, just around the cnr and in the gate,make your way around to the podium........this where it gets interesting....as 'Big' Pete comes through the gate he is meet by his crew,who proceed to 'towel down' the 'Super Falcon' as it slowly proceeds around to awaiting officials,by the time it arrives at the winners circle it's as shinny and clean as the day it rolled off the truck, the wayward 'oil' tube replaced back in the can...." what Oil"????.... So as Chris put it, you've got Mechanic on the Moffat Team that 'stutters', you've got Big Pete that 'stutters' and they have David Mc Mc Mc Kay who also 'stutters' all going 'hammer and tong', Pete going ,"W W W what F");:/ing Oil!!.....but you have to hear this story from Chris,he had us rolling around the floor .......MJ:cool:
A few of the Jane cars .......
Maser at Longford....Smedley pic
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ps3e631470.jpg
Jag at Longford...Smedley pic
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...psac9b7bf9.jpg
Jags at Longford...unkown source
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ps192573ff.jpg
E Type at Longford.... Smed pic
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ps8633630f.jpg
E Type LWT Calder...French
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...psb43b25fd.jpg
Jane Elfin Longford
Note the starters 44gallon drum with wheels and handrail. This was wheeled out close to white line on track for the start then moved back after to make a pit lane where Elfin is stopped......technology
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...inLgfd66-1.jpg
Next few are Perry Drury pics.....(been posted before)
Harrops EH ran under Jane banner for a period. Jim Richards Had a couple of drives
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/10-4.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/25-1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/32-2.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/33-3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/50-2.jpg
Spencer Martin and Jane Symmons Plains.....
Jim Clark gave Spencer a couple of pairs of Dunlop driving overalls after Longford.
Spencer has since given a set to the now owner of ex Clark / ex Geoghegan Lotus 39.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...inSP1166-2.jpg
McLoughlan pics....
Lotus Cortina Longford
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...12_00014-1.jpg
Elfin Longford
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...2012_00003.jpg
Wow, these are fantastic Ellis, thanks for posting them. The E Type shot and Jag shot heading under the bridge at Longford are especially fascinating! What amazing photos.
Here is another shot of the beautiful Maserati
Attachment 12354
Another shot of the beautiful ex-Shelby Trans-Am Mustang. Can anyone tell me when Bob sold this car back to the US?
Attachment 12355
Before the Shelby Trans-Am Mustang, came this '67 which is the car destroyed at Lakeside in 1970. This car evolved quite a lot during its career, as it got lower, the wheels got wider, and the flares got larger. This is an early photo, almost certainly from 1967, I'm guessing at WF, with Bob hanging the tail out.
Attachment 12356
The Camaro, during its 1972 season, when Bob became back-to-back ATCC champion. The Camaro was forced by CAMS to run a small block Chevy this season, plus drum brakes on the rear. But it mattered not, after another intense championship battle with Moffat, Bob came out as champion once again, winning four races, finishing second twice, third once, and with just one dnf from the eight rounds. I know the Camaro is more famous as it was in 1971, but I personally preferred the way it looked in '72, with the centres painted gloss black on the Minilites.
Attachment 12357
Bobs crazy LC Torana GTR XU-1 Sports Sedan, with alloy Repco-Brabham V8, and glorious chrome megaphone exhausts. The Torana first appeared in 1971, and raced for several seasons under Bobs ownership, and being constantly evolved, but its perhaps most famous in this early guise, with tall rear wing attached. The wing wasn't on the car in its very early races, it sprouted later in 1971, and was still there in early 1972, until CAMS created a way to ban it! According to John Sheppard, the wing was actually off a glider, which was then wrapped in aluminium, and with a Gurney-flap attached to the rear upper lip.
Attachment 12358
Norm Beechey in the superb big Chevy Nova. This would be from the 1966 season, with the car in its dark blue with white stripes colours that it first ran with. Looks like it could be Lakeside? No doubt Pete Geoghegan is somewhere nearby in the Mustang.
Attachment 12359
This is sort of related to the Beechey photo above. Some years ago I used to paint large black and white oil paintings on canvas. One of my favourites was one I did of the 1967 ATCC, also at Lakeside, showing Beechey in the Nova, in its 1967 black/red/yellow colours, being chased by Geoghegan in his new Mustang. The Nova dominated, but the Mustang won the race after the big Chevy blew a tyre and smacked the armco.
I sold the painting to David Bowden, who owns the Nova. Wish I'd have kept it now!
Attachment 12360
Yes Steve that is Lakeside and may be the first outing with the American Racing wheels ( previously it ran steels ) which apparently made a big difference to the fade prone drum brakes.
Regards Pete. ps love the painting!
Went back to USA in the 80's. Not sure which year exactly
Thanks guys, yes of course you're right! I had it in my head for some reason Bob pushed it into a corner of his shop and left it to gather dust as he did with many of his other cars. Bob Stevens raced it for several years, initially in blue, then two-tone blue and white. The flares grew ever-larger, but it stayed mostly intact.
Stunning painting Steve.
Camaro at Symmons Plains.....pic unknown
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...pse41d4f27.jpg
Thanks Ellis, neat photo.
I believe the Chevy Monza Sports Sedan is the last race car Bob drove in anger. The car went through some quite dramatic changes in its career, not least when it got converted into a Toyota Supra, but this is its earlier guise, as driven by Bob, although the paint scheme and rear wing modifications I'd guess this was from 1981, the last season he raced it.
Attachment 12375
The Monza again, although this is earlier than the photo posted above, and showing the rear suspension/diff/and frame of the car.
Attachment 12376
Once Bob retired from racing, he hired Peter Brock to take over the reigns of the radically rebuilt Monza. Pat Purcell and Roaring Season member Myles Johnson each played a pivotal role in the construction and rebuild of this car. Myles even designed the paint schemes! This photo is from 1983, the year Brock eliminated most of the front running cars from the Australian GT/Sports Sedan Championship when the Monza suddenly flicked left moments after the start at Adelaide.
Attachment 12377
Brilliant photo of Bob giving a talk on the ZL1 Camaro.
Attachment 12378
I love this photo. Stan Jones has just won the 1959 Australian Grand Prix at Longford, which was then still a domestic Formula Libre race. Here he celebrates with his crew, while his young son and future World Champion, Alan, rides shot-gun.
Attachment 12379
That is an outstanding photo! What a great car, with such a trick rear transaxle, IRS, rear brake set-up and center-lock wheel mounting, dry sump tank, and, well, just about everything that you can see.
Thanks to all that are helping to make these available for all of us.
-Chad
Yeah I thought you'd get a kick out of that one Chad.
Another shot of the rear inner workings of the Monza.
Attachment 12403